Pineapple plant named ‘P-1972’

ABSTRACT

A new pineapple ( Ananas comosus ) variety of the Bromeliaceae family was developed from a cross between the parental lines 64-337 (C12Q2SG1P1)×59-443 (C9P3SG2R2) and has been designated ‘P-1972’. This new variety differs from its progenitors in having higher carotene content, improved aroma, distinct fruit and flesh colors, and very symmetrical, oval fruit shape. It also shows low incidence of fruitlet core rot and marbling. The plant is characterized by long spineless leaves with piping, pale to grayish green in color, with veins protruding from the leaf surface. The plant has a uniform cylindrical and symmetrical fruit with a smooth and thin shell and flat fruitlets or eyes. Fruit is borne on a peduncle and the crown is long and conical with green to grayish green leaves. When unripe, fruit shell is pale green, turning to uniform yellow color when ripe. The flesh color is orange-yellow to yellow.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

Botanical/commercial classification: Ananas comosus/“Gold-type”pineapple variety.

Varietal denomination: cv. P-1972.

The invention refers to a new plant variety of pineapple (Ananascomosus) family Bromeliaceae, subclass of Monocotyledons, and named‘P-1972’. This new variety has a distinctly oval shaped fruit, with avery thin shell, higher carotene content, which gives a darker color tothe pulp. It also has higher soluble solids and acidity, and distinctflavor and aroma profiles compared to other varieties.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

In 1975, a new pineapple variety was selected as an individual plantfrom a segregating population produced from seed from a cross made inHawaii in 1972. The new variety was known as ‘75-80.’ ‘75-80’ containsat least 50% genetic base from Cayenne pineapple. The parental linesincluded two clones previously developed by the Pineapple ResearchInstitute (PRI), namely ‘64-337’ (C12Q2SG1P1)×‘59-443’ (C9P3SG2R2).Testing and selection of individual plants took place in Honduras,Central America.

Parental Description: Seed parent hybrid ‘64-337’ was originallydeveloped in the Pineapple Research Institute in Hawaii, from where itwas introduced into Honduras for field evaluation. Genetically ‘64-337’is composed of ¾ Cayenne, ⅛ Queen, 1/16 Smooth Guatemala, and 1/16Pernambuco. ‘64-337’ is not patented. This hybrid clone is lesssusceptible to premature flowering (NDF) as compared to Cayenne variety.It has also shown greater tolerance to the internal brown spot disorder(IBS). IBS is internal brown spotting of the pulp. The plant hasspineless leaves of a light green color. Fruit pulp shows yellow colorwith high carotene content.

Pollen parent 59-443 is a hybrid clone developed at the PineappleResearch Institute in Hawaii, and it was introduced to Honduras duringthe early 1970's. ‘59-443’ is not patented. Under Montecristoconditions, (Montecristo Farm, property of Standard Fruit de Honduras,located in the North coast of Honduras) ‘59-443’ is resistant to naturaldifferentiation of flowers (NDF), it develops a semi-erect plant habit,produces one to two slips per plant and is susceptible to lodging.Compared with Smooth Cayenne, leaves are narrower, longer in shape andspineless. Leaf color is dark green with reddish along the margins.Petal color is purple in the tip and whitish at the base. Fruit peduncleis medium, shape is long conical to cylindrical with broad fruitlets andfruit size is smaller than Cayenne. Flesh color is golden yellow.‘59-443’ Hybrid clone is susceptible to Phytophthora parasitica, but hasshown tolerance to IBS disorder.

This breeding effort aimed to produce a fresh fruit variety with goodfruit size and shape as well as high canning potential. Year roundproduction, a reduced propensity to premature flowering (NDFresistance), lower incidence of internal brown spot disorder (IBS), highcarotene, higher Vitamin C, stable crown type and good flavor relativeto the commonly grown ‘Smooth Cayenne’ variety, were a few of the keyselection parameters.

The development of the new variety started in Wahiawa, Hi. Flowers ofclone ‘64-337’ were cross-pollinated with pollen taken from plants ofclone ‘59-443’ in 1972. Seeds from this cross were taken to Honduras in1974 for germination and subsequent selection of promising individuals.Since then, the variety has been under cultivation at the MontecristoFarm, property of Standard Fruit de Honduras, located in the North coastof Honduras. Different methods of asexual propagation were used forvariety multiplication, i.e. stem cuttings, slips, suckers, propagules,fruit crown and tissue culture derived plants.

The selected hybrid showed unique characteristics such as distinctivefruit aroma and deep yellow color in both shell and flesh, as well as avery symmetrical, oval fruit shape. The plants were further propagatedusing slips, hapas, crowns, and stem cuttings and augmented over theyears in number. The new hybrid was designated ‘75-80’. Eliteindividuals showing shorter peduncles and larger fruit were selected in2001 from the original population of ‘75-80’ and designated ‘P-1972’.The present description covers the new population of elite plants withimproved characteristics designated as ‘P-1972’. The new cultivar isstable and has reproduced true to type in three successive generationsof asexual reproduction.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The new pineapple (Ananas comosus) variety, ‘P-1972’, differs from itsparents in having higher carotene content, improved aroma, distinctfruit and flesh colors, and very symmetrical, oval fruit shape. It alsoshows low incidence of fruitlet core rots, and marbling. The plant ischaracterized by long, spineless leaves with piping, pale to grayishgreen in color, with veins protruding from the leaf surface. Fruit has asmooth and thin shell and flat fruitlets or eyes.

‘P-1972’ has shorter peduncles and larger fruit than ‘75-80’ and it isless prone to shell cracking. ‘P-1972’ has much higher levels ofcarotene than ‘Mayan Gold 1’ and ‘Mayan Gold 3.’ ‘Mayan Gold 1’ is anunpatented hybrid resulting from crosses between Pineapple ResearchVarieties ‘57-293’ and ‘59-443.’ ‘Mayan Gold 3’ is an unpatentedPineapple Research Institute hybrid designated ‘73-114’ resulting from across between PRI ‘58-1184’ and PRI ‘59-443’. The ‘P-1972’ fruit shapeis egg (oval) shaped as compared to square shouldered or cylindricalshape of ‘Mayan Gold 3.’ ‘Mayan Gold 1’ has red pigmentation on theleaves, whereas Mayan Gold 3 and ‘P-1972’ do not. ‘P-1972’ is lightergreen than ‘Mayan Gold 3’ under a variety of growing conditions. Inaddition, ‘P-1972’ has higher carotene, Brix and acid than ‘Mayan Gold3,’ under a variety of growing conditions.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying photographs depict some of the differences between‘P-1972’ and ‘75-80’.

FIG. 1 shows ‘P-1972’ (a) compared to ‘75-80’ (b).

FIG. 2 shows ‘P-1972’ (a) compared to ‘75-80’ (b).

FIG. 3 shows ‘P-1972’ (a) compared to ‘75-80’ (b).

BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION OF THE PLANT

The following detailed description of the new plant variety is based onobservations of well-fertilized specimens at the vegetative stage (314days after planting) and inflorescence development (384 days afterplanting) and fruit harvesting (468 days after planting) in the monthsof October to December, 2003, grown in two different locations. First atMontecristo farms, in the Northern coast of Honduras (15 degrees 44minutes latitude north, and 86 degrees 53 minutes longitude west). Alsoincluded are observations from plants grown in the Atlantic slope inCosta Rica (El Bosque farm, 10 degrees 52 minutes, latitude north; and84 degrees 73 minutes, longitude west). Average temperature inMontecristo is 26° C., and 3542-mm average annual precipitation, whereastemperature in El Bosque averages 25° C., with annual rainfall of3217-mm.

The color of plant specimens and tissues are referred to the terminologyand designations reported in the Munsell Color Charts for plant tissues,published by Gretag Macbeth LLC, New Windsor, N.Y. Color chart andcolors were reported in terms of hue value and chroma notation.

The following is a description of a population of plants of the newvariety grown at Montecristo, and El Bosque Farms, in Honduras and CostaRica respectively (numbers in parenthesis are for plants grown in CostaRica).

-   Name: Ananas comosus (L.) Merr. Var. P-1972, family Bromeliaceae,    subclass Monocotyledons.-   Parentage:    -   -   I. Seed parent.—Clone ‘64-337’.        -   II. Pollen parent.—Clone ‘59-443’. Origin: a PRI cross            between clones ‘64-337’ and ‘59-443’.-   Classification:    -   -   Botanic.—Family: Bromeliaceae family. Subfamily:            Bromeliacidae. Genus: Ananas. Species: comosus. Cultivars:            ‘64-337’×‘59-443’ (var. P-1972).-   Commercial: Bromeliad fruit plant.    -   -   General form.—The aerial part of the ‘P-1972’ plant has an            open foliage and consists of a compact rosette of            overlapping sessile leaves arising from a central stem and            surrounding a composite inflorescence during anthesis. On            average the number of offshoots of different kind (hapas,            suckers and slips), initiated during or after anthesis are            1.1, 0.1 and 0.1-5.3 respectively. Dominant offshoots            produce subsequent crops after initial fruit harvest. Plant            height is considered normal, measuring on average 86.4±14.0            cm, including the fruit (Costa Rica — 93.9±3.1). Mean stem            diameter is 5.6±1.1 cm, measured at the base and at harvest            time.        -   Stems.—Stems peduncle are upright and short, usually            20.6±3.9 cm in height, and 7.5±1.4 cm in diameter at            flowering. Stems are sheathed by overlapping leaves arranged            in acropetal fashion, forming a heart shape stem. The stem            color is pale green (5 GY 7/8 to 7/10).-   Leaves:    -   -   General.—Leaves are sessile, lanceolated in form, very            elongated and succulent, with acuminate apex shape, and,            forming a rosette with a 5/13 phyllotaxy. Foliage attitude            is rather open, with leaf breakage of medium resistance. The            surface texture of the leaves is smooth despite the presence            of trichomes on both epidermises. The number of leaves per            plant ranges between 44.2±5.6 to 54.7±4.2, (Costa Rica —            56±5) with dormant axillary buds at the base of each leaf.        -   Color.—The color of the upper surface of the 15th leaf from            the top, determined by Munsell chart for plant tissue,            ranges from pale green (varying from 5 GY 6/6, 6/8, 7/6,            7/8, 5/10) to dark green (5 GY 4/4, 4/6, 4/8, 5/6, 5/8).        -   Margins.—The leaves are completely spineless showing the            presence of piping, which is due to a portion of the lower            epidermis being folded over the upper leaf surface. The            piping seem from the upper side presents a olive-green color            (5 GY 6/6 to 6/8) and on the underside a grayish-olive color            is observed (5 GY 5/4 to 5/6). Thickness in the longest lead            is 1.5±0.4 mm on average.        -   Insertion angle.—58.9±4° for the 14th leaf from the youngest            one, in 2.3 kg plants grown at a planting distance of 16            inches between rows and 10 inches between plants.        -   Leaf size.—Fully developed leaves range from 106.6±6.7 cm to            130.1±4 cm in length and 6.3±0.4 to 7.6±0.9 cm in width.        -   Leaf venation.—Parallel with an especial band that stick out            in both leaves surfaces.-   Inflorescence:    -   -   General.—Pineapple inflorescence of composite flower, with            self-incompatible individual bi-sexual flowers containing            three sepals (9.1±1.1 mm in length), six stamens (14.6±0.9            mm in length), three stigmas (1.5±0.4 mm wide), and three            carpels (5.3±0.8mm wide). The inflorescence is borne in a            long peduncle, 20.6±3.9 cm in length, and with light-green            to green coloration (7.5 GY 7/8 to 7/10, 5/6 to 5/8). Each            inflorescence is composed of 84 to 138 fruitlets. Average            size of the inflorescence at mid flower stage is 6.0±0.5 cm            in diameter, and 10.5±0.5 cm in height.

Floral bracts are lanceolated with smooth edge aspect, covering onethird of the fruitlet (18±1.6 mm in length, and 15.8±1.9 mm at thebase). Bract's apex is aristate with a truncate base. In unripe fruitthe bracts color is a pale green (5 GY 6/8) in the outside, whereasbract tip color in ripe fruit is deep pink (5 R 6/10, 6/8) in theinside.

Sepals are of orbicular shape and with olive-green color in the adaxialside of base (5 GY 6/8 to 6/10).

Petals are oblong is shape with color varying from purple (5 RP 4/4) onthe tip, white purple (5 RP 4/10, 4/12) in the center, and whitish onthe bottom. The color of pollen is yellow (5Y 8/8 to 8/10).

-   Fruit:    -   -   Fruit shape.—The fruit is uniform cylindrical and            symmetrical, slight taper with a diameter of 12.1±0.7 cm            (Costa Rica — 10.9±2.0 cm). The shell is smooth and thin,            with flat fruitlet eyes. Fruitlets per fruit varies            depending on fruit size, ranging from 113 to 146, whereas            the fruitlet average number in the longest spiral is            13.1±2.3 (Costa Rica — 10 to 19).

Fruit and crown average heights are 15.4±3.2 and 17.2±4.1 cm (Costa Rica— 11.7±2.7 and 11.8±0.6 cm) respectively for a fruit/crown ratio of 0.9.Mean fruit weight ranges from 1.9-2.4 Kg (Costa Rica — 1.57±0.43 Kg),whereas crown weight varies from 0.18±0.02 to 0.26±0.05 Kg.

-   Color: Unripe fruitlet color is green (7.5 GY 4/2, 3/2). When the    fruitlet is ripe (grade 5) the color is golden yellow (2.5 Y 8/10,    8/8 7/8, 7/10). Fruit core diameter is 2.7±0.7 cm.-   Crown characteristics: The crown is long conical in shape. Leaf    color is green (5GY 5/6, 5/8, 4/8). Leaves are spineless and smooth,    with piping in leaf margins.-   Flesh and juice characteristics (grade 5): The flesh is compact,    dense, smooth texture with small amount of fibers and distinct    mango-like aroma. Occasionally few seed (1-5) are found. Flesh color    is orange-yellow to golden yellow (2.5 Y 8/8, 8/10) and with    acceptable translucency appearance. Core diameter is 2.7±0.7 cm on    average, and has an orange yellow color (2.5 Y 8/6 to 8/8). Juice pH    is 3.7 on average, with a Brix value of 15.3±1.3 degrees and acid    value of 0.53±0.1. Ascorbic acid (mg AA/100 ml juice by indophenol    method) is in the range of 22.8 to 27.5, citric acid content varies    from 0.58 to 0.62.-   Peduncle: Fruit develops from the apical meristem of the plant on a    peduncle, usually 20.6±3.9 cm in length and 3.3±0.7 cm in diameter.    Peduncle bract number is 8.1±1.4 cm, and the length of the longest    bract is 20±4.6 cm.

TABLE 1 Comparison of fruit quality characteristics at maturity grade 3between ‘P-1972’ and other known varieties under Montecristo farmconditions. Ascobic Acid Pineapple Brix/Acid Carotenoids (mg/100 VarietyBrix Acid (%) Ratio (ppm) ml) P-1972 15.3 0.53 29 11.8 25 Tropical Gold13.8 0.66 21 6.18 55 Mayan Gold 01 13.4 0.63 21 2.39 19 Champaka 14.00.76 19 2.39 19 Manzana 11.5 0.79 15 2 47 Castilla 18.9 1.23 15 2.36 42Santa Marta 13.8 0.74 19 4.1 59 Red Spanishg 14.9 0.97 15 2.26 7McGregor 16.6 0.55 30 6.32 27 Monte Lirio 13.1 0.49 27 10.5 23 SnackPine 20.9 0.33 64 7.06 15

TABLE 2 Tolerance of ‘P-1972’ and other pineapple varieties to certainpests and diseases and to natural flowering under Montecristo farmconditions. Tropical Condition ‘P-1972’ Gold Mayan Gold 01 ChampakaPhytopthora moderate low high high Erwinia moderate low high high Armyworm low none low low Mealybug low none low low (Pseudococcus brevipes)Natural Flowering high low moderate moderate

1. The new and distinct variety of pineapple plant designated ‘P-1972’substantially as shown and described herein.